Two New iPad Pro Models, 10.2-Inch iPad, and iPad Mini 5 Said to Launch in 2019

[PickUrPoison]

I’m pretty sure we can say goodbye to the $329 iPad (mid-range size). The Pro’s start at $800 (or $650 for previous gen model). That’s a huge gap between the iPad and the pro. I’m gonna speculate that this new mid-sized iPad 10.2” will take a page out of the iPad Pro 11” rulebook. Same footprint with a slightly wider aspect ratio, removing Touch ID for FaceID. I’m also speculating (hoping) it will get a smartconnector. Aside from those changes, there could be a few other minor changes. Maybe laminated screen or improved speaker or TrueTone, etc (and of course an updated processor).

But the price is definitely gonna bump. Possibly stay as low as $399 or $429, but if I were a betting man it’s gonna settle back to the original iPad $499 price. This price increase will be partially enabled by the updated mini 5.

The strategy for the mini 5 I’m less certain of. I could either see a) only processor bump with all else staying the same, $329. Or b) shrink the bezels, go FaceID, but increase to $399. I think it depends how much Apple wants to eliminate TouchID across the line.

As much as I agree with your post #141 above favoring Lightning over USB-C, I disagree just as strongly with the idea that the entry level iPad will increase in price It’s more important for it to stay inexpensive than it is to add features to get it closer to the 11” iPad Pro. $349 might be possible, but going from $329 to $499 would be a disaster, and would just kill the quantity sold—especially in education.

It’s an entry level device, TouchID is perfectly sufficient. I agree that the aspect ratio will change from the long-standing 4:3 to the 10:7 of the 11” iPad Pro, but that can happen just by shaving off 5mm from the overly large top and bottom bezels (with the physical size staying the same, like you also mention).

Home button stays, no need for FaceID and definitely no need for a smartconnector. Laminated screen would be nice but I don’t expect it, same with TrueTone and sound improvements. It might even stay at A10, it really doesn’t need anything faster, at least this year.

For the mini, I think they keep the excellent screen and with that they can keep $399, maybe for 64GB (with the 128GB model increasing from its current $399 to $449). Hoping for A11, it will definitely get it if the 10.2 does—maybe even if the 10.2 keeps the A10 since I think the mini stays with a 3 year update cycle. But A10/3GB wouldn’t surprise me, or the A10X/3GB of the Apple TV is also a possibility.

I don’t see the screen getting larger, I think it’s fine as is, but it would be nice to shrink the bezels as much as possible. I think any reduction in physical size would be welcomed by most of the target market.

Anyway, that’s my take.

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

As much as I agree with your post #141 above favoring Lightning over USB-C, I disagree just as strongly with the idea that the entry level iPad will increase in price It’s more important for it to stay inexpensive than it is to add features to get it closer to the 11” iPad Pro. $349 might be possible, but going from $329 to $499 would be a disaster, and would just kill the quantity sold—especially in education.

It’s an entry level device, TouchID is perfectly sufficient. I agree that the aspect ratio will change from the long-standing 4:3 to the 10:7 of the 11” iPad Pro, but that can happen just by shaving off 5mm from the overly large top and bottom bezels (with the physical size staying the same, like you also mention).

Home button stays, no need for FaceID and definitely no need for a smartconnector. Laminated screen would be nice but I don’t expect it, same with TrueTone and sound improvements. It might even stay at A10, it really doesn’t need anything faster, at least this year.

For the mini, I think they keep the excellent screen and with that they can keep $399, maybe for 64GB (with the 128GB model increasing from its current $399 to $449). Hoping for A11, it will definitely get it if the 10.2 does—maybe even if the 10.2 keeps the A10 since I think the mini stays with a 3 year update cycle. But A10/3GB wouldn’t surprise me, or the A10X/3GB of the Apple TV is also a possibility.

I don’t see the screen getting larger, I think it’s fine as is, but it would be nice to shrink the bezels as much as possible. I think any reduction in physical size would be welcomed by most of the target market.

Anyway, that’s my take.

I dunno man. I agree it’s nice to have such a low cost iPad, but Apple really has been driving price increases to compensate for slowing sales. Also, don’t forget that Apple could 100% keep selling the 2018 9.7 iPad at $329 (or if they’re feeling frisky, at $299, but lets be real), alongside the new 10.2 iPad. They’ve done that type of thing for a decade now, and it’s pretty clear that Apple’s not that afraid of fragmentation with too many SKUs/sizes/etc anymore.

Also, I just don’t see how you can get a 0.5” increase in the same size casing without necesssitating the removal of the home button. That is the exact same thing that happened from the 10.5 to 11 pro. And with all the new gestures in iOS12 I think Apple will want to push some level of consistency across the line for user interaction.

Would you really argue that Apple could keep the 2016 iPhone processor in the 2019 iPad? That seems untenable to me. Obviously Apple *could* keep the price at $329 if that’s what they prioritize, but the size increase indicates to me that Apple will be prioritizing feature enhancements rather than low pricing.

Do you really think that Apple is going to update both iPad 10.2 and iPad mini 7.9 at the same time, presumably with the same (or extremely similar) capabilities, but that the iPad mini will start at $70 more than it’s larger brethren? I just don’t see it. I know it’s more expensive now, but that’s because of the storage (and the de-emphasis of it). I’m mostly indifferent regarding whether the size shrinks down around the screen or whether the screen increases to fill the existing casing. I would have previously thought to shrink the size, but after the 11” and (presumably) 10.2” increases stretching to new wider aspect ratios, I think it makes sense to do the same on the mini.

I just really hope apple starts rounding to the closest inch and we get the 8” iPad, 10” iPad, 11” iPad Pro, and 13” iPad Pro.

 

[HarryWild]

I'm guessing these will use the A11, unless they go with an A10 for the iPad mini, which would disappoint the mini fans.

No most iPad Mini buyers want a Mini Pro, not a budget model Mini 5 With 2-3 year old components and limited RAM.

 

[radioman1980]

**Inaugural Post to MacRumors (hold the applause)(and sorry for the novella)**

Two Questions for Everyone:

1) Curious to hear what brought you all to this particular article -- are most of you legitimately interested in the unconfirmed (yet widely hypothesized) release of a new iPad Mini? The Mini never seems to generate much publicity or fanfare compared to big brothers. Never understood why. The iPad 2 (the one we all had) was cool as a novelty, but can't say I really used it outside the occasional IMDb inquiry from my couch. Always felt too weighty, and too awkward for sustained use. Not the Mini: the moment anyone handles one they suddenly want a tablet, nearly forgetting they already have one laying around... somewhere.

Don't see the need of an iPad Mini Pro as I think Mini users have different needs for the go-to, do-it-all, smartphone-for-home. Just a zippy processor and a generous dose of RAM would be ideal as we stream Spotify playlists to our Apple TV while monitoring a recent bid on eBay as we jump around the 12 Safari tabs before confirming tomorrow's weather forecast -- all with just 3 fingers of your left hand and the most minimal of strain.

2) Also something I've been thinking about for awhile and am curious to hear your thoughts:
Why not combine operating systems on the iPad Pro models? iOS and OSX... essentially having the option to power up your iPad in either mode: iOS (for when you want to use the iPad as a tablet) or OSX (for when you need a little more functionality and usability you simply can't get in iOS). "OSX mode" would effectively run just as any MacBook would -- perhaps pared down a little to reduce hardware demands. You could use a mouse (ah!), install/use the full version of MS Office, navigate files in Finder, setup and swipe between different desktops via Mission Control, et. al.

THIS, to me, would not only be pretty epic, but would certainly help iPad live up to the "Pro" nomenclature they've attached to their high-end models. And sure, it'd potentially cannibalize sales of MacBooks, but fine... charge more.

Just me??

 

[PickUrPoison]

I dunno man. I agree it’s nice to have such a low cost iPad, but Apple really has been driving price increases to compensate for slowing sales. Also, don’t forget that Apple could 100% keep selling the 2018 9.7 iPad at $329 (or if they’re feeling frisky, at $299, but lets be real), alongside the new 10.2 iPad. They’ve done that type of thing for a decade now, and it’s pretty clear that Apple’s not that afraid of fragmentation with too many SKUs/sizes/etc anymore.

Also, I just don’t see how you can get a 0.5” increase in the same size casing without necesssitating the removal of the home button. That is the exact same thing that happened from the 10.5 to 11 pro. And with all the new gestures in iOS12 I think Apple will want to push some level of consistency across the line for user interaction.

Would you really argue that Apple could keep the 2016 iPhone processor in the 2019 iPad? That seems untenable to me. Obviously Apple *could* keep the price at $329 if that’s what they prioritize, but the size increase indicates to me that Apple will be prioritizing feature enhancements rather than low pricing.

Do you really think that Apple is going to update both iPad 10.2 and iPad mini 7.9 at the same time, presumably with the same (or extremely similar) capabilities, but that the iPad mini will start at $70 more than it’s larger brethren? I just don’t see it. I know it’s more expensive now, but that’s because of the storage (and the de-emphasis of it). I’m mostly indifferent regarding whether the size shrinks down around the screen or whether the screen increases to fill the existing casing. I would have previously thought to shrink the size, but after the 11” and (presumably) 10.2” increases stretching to new wider aspect ratios, I think it makes sense to do the same on the mini.

I just really hope apple starts rounding to the closest inch and we get the 8” iPad, 10” iPad, 11” iPad Pro, and 13” iPad Pro.

1) re: Apple raising prices, it’s not automatic, and it’s not nearly as drastic as some like to portray. Last year we saw:

• the new MacBook Pro remain at $1,799/2,399 for the 13/15” Touch Bar models;

• the 9.7” iPad stayed at $329.

• iPhone XR is priced at $749, right between the $699/799 of the 8/8 Plus; iPhone XS stayed at the X price of $999, even with numerous improvements; and the XS Max added a very nominal $100 surcharge for the larger screen/battery.

• Mac mini 8GB/128GB SSD is now priced at $799, but that config was $749 for the previous model. So a $50 increase. (Sure, they eliminated cheaper 4GB RAM and HDD/Fusion models, but discontinuing low performing models isn’t the same as raising prices on those that remain.

• MacBook Air went from $999 to $1,199 while gaining a retina screen and TouchID. That may or not be worth $200 to any given buyer, but it is a huge display upgrade.

• iPad Pro went up $150/200 but gained the very powerful (but low manufacturing volume variant) A12X CPU, FaceID/TrueDepth camera, USB-C, wireless charging and new screens—all of which added to component costs vs. the 2017 models

So product price increases were related to increases in component costs. Gross margin has stayed around 38% so it’s not as if Apple’s just padding profits or being “greedy”. Point being, Apple’s not just going crazy raising prices for no reason, and if there are minimal changes to the entry level iPad there’s no reason to think the price should increase. A large price increase could easily reduce both total revenue and profit by decreasing sales volumes significantly.

2) Yes I definitely think the 2019 non-Pro iPads could have an A10. The 2018 9.7” is plenty fast for an entry level model, and much faster than the A9-based 2017 (and the current A8 mini). Like I mentioned, they could also use the A10X (same as the 10.5” Pro) but I don’t think they have to. Would I prefer an A11? Of course! But I don’t think it’s necessary. Maybe for the mini due to the extended refresh cycle.

3) Yes I do think the mini can sell for $70 more than the larger model! It has been for the last two years, so why not with a refresh? It’s got a much better screen, and at the same 128GB storage, the mini is $399 vs. $429 for the 9.7”. I suppose they could sell a 32GB mini for $299 but I don’t think they will, they need a higher ASP, even though they’ll sell somewhat fewer with $399 entry level pricing.

Well anyway, it’ll be interesting to see how it shakes out. I don’t think we’ll have too much longer to wait; a March release wouldn’t surprise me at all.

 

[everygrainofsand]

Hoping the bend issue is solved with the new releases.

I suspect the 2019 Pro will have a reinforced chasis, and NO bending issues. In which case I’d be mighty pissed to be a 2018 model owner. One wonders what kinda state those 2018 models will be in, in say 3 or 4 years time...

- everygrainofsand -

 

[PetterPan]

The rumor is mentioning two new iPads Pro , so I assume that both of them will have Smart Keyboard and pencil 2 capabilities, right?

I hope so. I'm sooo near ordering the 11 Pro, but with the bending issues and rumors of new PRO's I'm on the fence until the announcment this spring is done.

 

[Smartwatchlover]

I hope so. I'm sooo near ordering the 11 Pro, but with the bending issues and rumors of new PRO's I'm on the fence until the announcment this spring is done.

Same here

 

[everygrainofsand]

I hope so. I'm sooo near ordering the 11 Pro, but with the bending issues and rumors of new PRO's I'm on the fence until the announcment this spring is done.

Same here

Guys - hold off until the fall! Get the fixed version that they are undoubtedly planning to release. If you’re in any doubt, check out the bend problem page on this forum. Meantime, let’s see how this 10.2inch entry model fares. Chances are it’ll make itself known next month

 

[Smartwatchlover]

Guys - hold off until the fall! Get the fixed version that they are undoubtedly planning to release. If you’re in any doubt, check out the bend problem page on this forum. Meantime, let’s see how this 10.2inch entry model fares. Chances are it’ll make itself known next month

Unfortunately I need it now as at work we extensively use Office 365 and the 11” Pro with Pencil 2 + Smart Keyboard will allow me to leverage OneNote (and all the rest) at its best.

Will wait until the March event to see what’s boiling in the pot, BTW.

 

[everygrainofsand]

Unfortunately I need it now as at work we extensively use Office 365 and the 11” Pro with Pencil 2 + Smart Keyboard will allow me to leverage OneNote (and all the rest) at its best.

Will wait until the March event to see what’s boiling in the pot, BTW.

Well, if work’s paying (I’m just assuming that!) then at least it’s not your own hard earned cash your making over

Yeah, let’s see what the March event brings

 

[PetterPan]

Unfortunately I need it now as at work we extensively use Office 365 and the 11” Pro with Pencil 2 + Smart Keyboard will allow me to leverage OneNote (and all the rest) at its best.

Will wait until the March event to see what’s boiling in the pot, BTW.

In the same boat here. I need it for the summer, will go on a 2 month long trip. So will be an 11 Pro or a Surface 6, if there is new Pros arriving this spring

 

[everygrainofsand]

In the same boat here. I need it for the summer, will go on a 2 month long trip. So will be an 11 Pro or a Surface 6, if there is new Pros arriving this spring

Well, there’s nothing you can do about the unit bending over time - a problem which, it’s my opinion, most LTE models will exhibit. But at least take the machine out of its packaging in the shop, and steel ruler check it for out-of-the box bending. That’s if you decide to go down the Pro path. It’s a shame you can’t hold-off until the Autumn updates, when the chasis will no doubt be fixed (as a matter of coincidence, of course - the old bending ones being entirely normal and within spec). And get the best, tough as steel, case available on that sucker!

If it’s your own cash at stake, then you might just be surprised at this new 10.2” entry model that’s on the horizon. We’ll find out shortly

 

[MRISX]

Any estimated date for the March event? I am waiting for a entry model iPad, my use will be pretty light but as a consumer I don’t want to find couple weeks down the road that I was able get something “improved” by waiting a bit more. But if this will be like couple months, then I can get it since now and probably even a refurbished

 

[PickUrPoison]

In the same boat here. I need it for the summer, will go on a 2 month long trip. So will be an 11 Pro or a Surface 6, if there is new Pros arriving this spring

The latest iPad Pro was just released 5 months ago. Previous upgrade cycles have been anywhere between 15-19 months.

There are rumors of an update, but I can’t imagine it coming before September, and even that would surprise me—though March 2020 would not.

 

[everythingapplerainbow]

so it is 50% correct already
he was missing the iPad Air prediction